There's nothing more satisfying than watching your cash reproduce. We found six easy ways to grow your savings, starting with as little as $70.

Where to start

Where to start

It doesn't happen often, but every once in a while life drops a little windfall on my family. In the last few months, for example, my husband stumbled into an unexpected work gig and I signed up for AirBnB and snared a rental. (Enjoy our home, Inga!) Back when our finances were shakier, what to do with any newfound wealth was obvious: We needed an emergency fund, plus there was credit card debt to slay. But these days we're pretty much on track—even with our retirement and college savings funds—so we allow ourselves the luxury of asking: How do we get the most out of this moola? You could always put money in your IRA or a CD, but are there ways to get creative and reap an even bigger benefit? Indeed, there are, and along the way you'll actually have some fun.

Investment: Make a networking budget

Investment: Make a networking budget

Cost: $1,000 yearly

Possible payback: 20% of your lifetime salary

If you consider LinkedIn just another inbox to check, think again. A recent study found that about 80 percent of jobs are landed through personal connections. The key? Networking—but not the kind you do with a stick-on name tag and a frozen smile. "If it feels like work, you're not doing it right," says former Virgin America marketing vice president Porter Gale, author of Your Network Is Your Net Worth. "Authentic connections are based on mutual values, interests, and sharing ideas, not job titles. When you genuinely want to support each other, that's when the magic happens." Of course, you don't get those kinds of relationships from trading business cards. So invest in building them, says career coach and LinkedIn career expert Nicole Williams. "Focus on meeting up with one contact a month. Do coffee with those you're just meeting or don't know very well, and offer to take your mentors or close peers out to lunch or dinner." Being able to stay steadily employed keeps your earnings growing—up to 20 percent over the course of 15 to 20 years, a recent study found—and jobs are easier to find when you have contacts to turn to. Spend a bit on networking and the next time you come calling for a reference, you'll be "that gal I had lunch with," not, "Who?"